Christmas is just around the corner, so next week and I am busy making sure Brendan and I have everything in order. I didn’t have to worry about my family, I had to worry about Brendan’s. They are flying in late December 23 to spend a couple of days with Brendan. Brendan flies in late on the 23rd also from Columbus so I scheduled Brendan's family’s fight to come in at 12am and I will take them to the hotel they are staying at and then quickly drive back to the airport and wait for Brendan to get here. It will be a terribly long night but worth it because its christmas.


I started Christmas holidays last friday and I have been looking world wide for a present for Brendan. I am thinking a new watch and maybe a suit from Katie and her friend’s new suit company. Brendan is spending the day with Nate and Alex, I think they are Christmas shopping because we have not had the time yet. They got back early this morning and I was given a text saying that he was hanging out with them today. That was good because it gave me time to wrap gifts for my family, Brendan’s family, and Brendan.

Did we talk about a limit? I get a text from Brendan.
So that’s what u r doing today? I reply.
ur getting coal then.
what should our limit be then?
how much did u spend on me?
i can’t tell you that
babe
lol i told u already i didn’t want anything
then take back my gifts
they are already wrapped, nope
u don’t play fair
love u, when r u going to be home?
i’m never coming back
cmon
love u lyd
stop texting, more shopping (for me:):))

I put my phone down and get back to wrapping up Brendan’s presents when a thought is across my mind.

do u have a stocking? i ask.
yes, why?
u can fill mine and i can fill yours, that can be our gifts to eachother. my gifts can basically fit in a stocking, at least I hope.
i thought u already got me gifts
not telling, lets do that, ok?
sure

That might have changed my christmas presents to Brendan. But it was also a way of getting him to not spend a lot of money on me as that isn’t really my style. This is Brendan and I’s first christmas while basically living together which I am so excited for. I get to wake up to him Christmas morning and that is just a present in itself. Last year, we still exchanged gifts and I had dinner with him family and such but nothing like what I have planned for this year.

I really wanted to have dinner at Sara’s and I’s apartment, but I felt that tit was too small for it this year. Brendan and I have talked about investing in our own house after this season and that way we can begin to hold team dinners, but also family dinners. I hate not being able to let Brendan’s family stay with us as they have to stay in a hotel. So our house would be enough for his family and if my family needed to stay over, there would still be room for them too.

Surprisingly, Nolan has a girlfriend who unfortunately won’t be making the trip down for Christmas as she will be celebrating with her family but from what Bre and Heather have told me, its good things. She sounds like a shy, sweet girl which is totally the opposite from Nolan.

It has been a couple more hours and Brendan is still shopping. I have finished wrapping and is snuggled in my bed watching Grey’s Anatomy of coarse.

its ur day off & ur spending it with ur teammates. I text Brendan while laying in bed missing my personal heater.
lol yes that is true lyd, but it’s for christmas
come home & cuddle me
i just got home bb
& y rnt u here?????
r u hangry? eat a snickers
not funny -.-
ur cute
ur not cute, where th r u??

“so impatient.” I hear Brendan mutter from my door way which instantly brings a smile to my face. “Hi annoying.” He murmurs walking over to my bed.

“How was shopping?” I ask as he gets into the bed from the side that he uses when he sleeps over.

“Rough, it was fucking busy.” He sighs wrapping an arm around me and pulling me into him.

“You should have came back earlier.” I pout turning in his arms to look at him.

“I had to buy so many presents.”

“Did you find something for your mom?” I ask.

“Pearl earrings. Does that sound good?”

“Sounds great, I could have helped you with those gifts.”

“You already got mom something though.”

“Just a little thing, a free spa day is nothing really.” I shrug. “What about your sisters?”

“I got Erin a signed baseball already, I ordered it on Amazon the other day. It’s one of her favourite players, I hope she will like it.” He mutters.

“Shouldn’t that be more for Nolan?” I ask.

Brendan shrugs. “I was having issues finding Erin’s gift, dad gave me the idea.”

“Boys.” I chuckle.

“I got Bre a pandora bracelet. Mom told me she was saying she wanted it so I told her I would buy her one.”

“Thats cute. I got Erin a spa day too and Bre some clothes and a iphone case. I didn’t really know. Will Nolan and your dad like suits from Katie’s company?”

“Yeah probably.”

“Okay I will get them that then.” I smile leaning up to kiss him.

“We should have just bought one present for each of them. It would have been easier.”

“Probably.” I agree. “I missed you.” I smile nuzzling my head in his neck.

“I was only gone a couple hours Lyd.” He whispers in my ear.

“I know that, but before that you just got back from Washington and you have been busy with games.”

“Well in that case, I missed you too.” He kisses the side of my head.

“You better.”

______

“Wake up beautiful.” I hear someone whisper into my ear placing a kiss on my temple, it was Brendan. “Santa came.” He smiles.

I smile before opening my eyes which makes Brendan laugh. “My parent’s will be here soon with breakfast they are picking up. I started the coffee.” Brendan informs me.

“let me sleep longer.” I groan pulling my sheets over my head.

“no babe, you can’t. You smell, you need to shower and get some coffee into your system or I will have a grumpy elf on my hands.”

“and if you don’t let me sleep, I will be a grumpy elf.”

“So you’re saying it’s a lose, lose.”

“Yep” I close my eyes again.

I start to drift off again when I feel myself being pulled off the bed. Brendan collects me in his arms and brings me into the bathroom across the hall.

“I hate you.” I mutter.

“I love you.” He sloppily kisses my cheek making me laugh. “There’s that beautiful smile.”

“Merry Christmas you jerk.”

“Do you want to open presents before or after you shower?”

“Lets open them now.” I smile giddy thinking about the gift I got Brendan.

“okay.” Brendan puts me down, kissing my head and heading into the kitchen of my apartment. Sara went home to her parents for the holidays so we have the apartment to ourselves until Brendan’s family comes here.

Brendan pours two cups of coffee and brings them into the living room where the tree and presents are. Last night I filled a stocking I bought for Brendan with his watch that I bought and different sorts of candy and chocolate with other little gifts like a new phone case and ties for his suits. I got him a flashy Montreal Canadiens tie for him to wear to games sometimes.

I see a Habs stocking sitting on the couch and chuckle knowing that Brendan got me one. “It’s cute.” I tell him sitting on the floor leaning against the couch. “You first?”

“Why not the same time?” Brendan suggests.

“I like that idea.” I get up and grab Brendan’s stocking and Brendan does the same.

“Merry Christmas.” I smile at him and give him the stocking as we exchange.

“Merry Christmas baby.” He pecks my lips quickly.

I open my stocking and instantly smile. There looks to be like twenty packages of Swedish Berries on the top, those are my favourite. I take those out and look deeper. I find a Habs bracelet and quickly slip it onto my wrist.

“Lydia, a rolex?!” Brendan exclaims.

“I hope you like it.” I smile at him.

“I love it.”

I pull out a piece of paper and it takes me a while to process it. It says Icone condominiums, downtown Montreal. There is a picture of a condo layout. It’s our condo. “What.” I squeak out not knowing what to say.

“So your lease is up in April and the new building opens then. It’s ours. It’s downtown, only 5 minute walk to the Bell Centre. I figured we could leave there until we find a house we really love for a family. I was looking but this seems like the better fit right now.”

“I love you. Brendan this is incredible.” I kiss him gently.

“I can’t wait to spend our lives together.” He smiles kissing me again.

“I’m so excited.” I murmur against his lips.

We keep opening our stockings and at the bottom I find a Tiffany and Co box. I open it to find a pendant necklace with a heart tag.

“Thanks babe.” I smile taking the necklace out of its box to put it around my neck, Brendan clips it and kisses my head.

“I’m glad you like it. Can you believe we will be dating for a year in a week?”

“It has flown by.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” He comments.

“So a condo?” I ask looking up at him.

“Yeah, we will finally get a place to ourselves. It has 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms so it is pretty spacious.”

“I want to help pay for it.” I tell him, firmly.

“Once you get a stable job that you enjoy, then we can talk.”

I pout. “But I want to help.”

“I’m not going to bankrupt you. I have enough money to pay for it but once you get a good job, you can help pay.”

“Fine.”

“Enjoy my gift.”

“I am.” I smile. Brendan also got me a tuque from under armour and a Tim Horton’s gift card. It was a great first christmas exchange with Brendan.

____


Christmas with my family and Brendan’s family was a very large success. I enjoyed being able to spend a couple days with Brendan and my family and just relax with the company of the people who are the closest to me. The holidays went by quick like they always do and soon it was back to hockey for Brendan and New Years Eve was approaching. Which also is our one year anniversary of officially dating. I don’t really know if Brendan has anything planned, probably just the team party which I am fine with because that is still where he asked me to be his girlfriend.

The party is planned to be in Pittsburgh this year because the boys have a game that night and they rented out part of a club to celebrate. So I had packed an overnight bag for the trip to Pittsburgh. I made sure to put my black romper in which was going to be my New Years outfit and my stay heels and sipped up my bag and headed for the door. The WAGS would be meeting the boys in Pittsburgh and would be flying back to Montreal as the team then flies to Nashville. I go up to Brendan and Alex’s apartment to find Blair when my phone rings from Brendan.

“Hey babe.” I answer.

“Hi Lyd. Are you still at home?” He asks.

“Yeah I just came upstairs to get Blair, whats up?”

“Do you have enough room in your bag to grab something for me?”

“Probably, it depends what it is.”

“A suit.”

“Um probably babe, where is it?”

“In my closest. I need the bow tie, a white shirt, and black pants.”

“Is that your New Years outfit?”

“Yeah.”

“That sounds cute. I’m wearing black also so we will match.”

Brendan chuckles. “Thats good babe.”

“When do you fly in to Pittsburgh?” I ask.

“We’re on the bus to fly out now. You should be on your way now too.”

“I’m going, I’m going. Okay I have your stuff. I will see you in 4 hours.”

“Hey, babe?”

“Yeah.” I answer.

“Happy anniversary.” He breathes.

“Happy anniversary cutie.” I smile widely.

“okay I have to go. I will see you soon.” Brendan says.

“okay I love you.”

“Love you too babe. Bye.” I hang up and Blair and I head to the airport.

___

The plane ride to Pittsburgh went by fairly quickly and it got me excited to see Brendan and spend the day with him. He has been gone since Tuesday and its Saturday and then I won’t be seeing him for another week as he will still be on the road. I am sitting beside Katie and I have the aisle seat and Katie is in the middle of me and Blair who has the window seat. The boys got their own rooms tonight so we would be able to stay with them tonight which is going to be fun.

I sleep most of the way as we had to be up at 7 this morning to be ready for our 8:30 flight. We didn’t have to go through as much of security at the airport because it was just the WAGS and family flying in one of the Canadien’s planes.

Next we take a bus to the hotel and wait for the boy’s to be done their morning skate. It was optional but I think most of the boys were going to it anyways. I know Brendan was anyways. I use this time to lay on the bed in the hotel room and just rest.

I wake up to Brendan calling. “WHERE’S MY WONDERFUL GIRLFRIENDDDD?”

I groan from the bed. “Right here.” I grumble.

“Hi baby.” He smiles launching himself on the bed.

“Hey are you single?” I flirt.

“Well unfortunately for you, I’m in a committed relationship. She’s this beautiful soon to be social worker and has the heart of gold even though she is stubborn as shit. But I love her and she somehow stays with me.” He tells me which makes me smile so wide.

“I love you.” I smile.

“Wait, I’m talking about my other girlfriend.” He says flirting back.

“Well shoot.” I laugh.

“Of coarse it was about you.” He laughs and kisses me.

“Happy Anniversary my love.” I tell him.

“Happy one year sweetie.” He replies kissing me again. He pulls back, “I have something for you.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I got you a present for our one year.”

“You already got me a christmas gift.”

“But this is our anniversary gift.”

“Fine.” I tell him and he gets up and goes to his suitcase and grabs something. “What is it?”

“A surprise.” He smiles. He hands me a box and I open it, its Pandora. Its a pandora ring. I look up at him with tears in my eyes. “First thing, its not a proposal. But its a promise ring. I promise to one day get you a bigger and nicer ring to put on that left hand.”

“Brendan.” I squeak out.

“I love you.” He tells me.

“I love YOU.” I smile and kiss him.

“Put it on.” He pushes.

“I put it on my right ring finger right?” I ask.

“I read you can wear it on any finger.” Brendan tells me.

“Okay.” I smile. I put it on my right hand so if anyone saw it on my left, they wouldn’t freak out thinking Brendan and I wear engaged. I kiss Brendan lightly. “Thank you.” I say against his lips.

“Your welcome baby.”

“I have something for you.” I smile.

“Is this when I am supposed to say you didn’t have to get me anything?” Brendan chuckles.

“Yep.” I laugh and walk to my suitcase pulling out the homemade book I made for Brendan. I had made two pages for each month that we have been together and put ticket stumps and pictures and anything that I could I put into this book so I hope he likes it. It is titled ‘Our First Year’ with a heart on the front. Brendan smiles and begins to flip through the book. We spend the next couples minutes looking through the memories of the last year. It brings us both so much happiness and I smile at my wonderful boyfriend. This is truly the happiest I have felt ever in my life.

Notes

count how many times they said they loved eachother this chapter lol :))))
Christmas Gifts
New Years Outfits
Airplane Outfit (w Ring)
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